The field of the present invention pertains to the art of picture hangers, and securing devices and mounting devices for items that have a substantial vertical aspect. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mounting or positional securing device that can be adjusted to different fixed positions (of the item vis-a-vis the support that it is secured to) without requiring that fastening means into the supporting surface be removed and reaffixed.
The prior art reflects a long-standing endeavor to create mounting devices which simplify the process of positioning and mounting an item and which expand the latitude concerning where and how a mounted, hanging, or otherwise secured item can be repositioned. For example, as has been repeatedly noted in a multitude of patents granted over the last century (including those discussed below, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference), hanging an item such as a picture or painting in a precise desired position on a wall can prove frustrating and time consuming. For one thing, it is often difficult to discern exactly where an item will look best until it has already been hung in the vicinity of the desired position, and then, from the proper perspective, viewed hanging. Even when an exact desired position is known in advance, imprecision or errors in measurement usually occur (to different degrees depending on the hanging hardware used) and commonly prevent that location from actually being obtained on the first try. Finally, even when an exact position is known in advance, and it is satisfactorily obtained through luck or work, the addition or rearrangement of furniture or other hanging items is often discouraged or rendered less attractive because of the disincentive to tamper with the location of the existing item. In addition to the time that is wasted and the less than aesthetically satisfactory arrangements that are often lived with, the removal and reaffixing nails or screws is a common occurrence that causes damage to the wall surface and sometimes failure of support for the hanging item. While prior artisans in the field have long recognized these difficulties and have created myriad devices aimed at solving them, the devices have fallen short of providing satisfactorily robust yet simple ways for the end user to hang an item.